# For volcano watchers - maybe you'll get lucky! {Kilauea may be erupting} **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2023, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665 "2023-09-05T20:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 34
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2026, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/661 "2026-09-15T22:32:10Z")
A bit less than 2 hours ago, at about 10:40:50 HST, somebody controlling the streaming cameras started panning and zooming back the [V2 cam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9-oSpYpubg) to a different seldom-seen view of the crater, with the vents no longer in view on that cam. ETA The [V3 cam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9-oSpYpubg) was pointed differently from about 8:08 to 10:41 or so, with a few different views right at the end of that sojourn. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/662 "2026-09-16T00:17:10Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > a different seldom-seen view of the crater, Interesting! I wonder why. ETA: The daily update says “New vents opened at Kīlauea summit eruption site last night.” But the new view doesn’t look like it has a particularly large vent. There is a spot or two which is smoking, but you see things like that all the time throughout the crater. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/663 "2026-09-16T00:39:03Z")
then I think this means the smoking line at the top left is one of those new vents and it actually flowed last night, but it was off-camera. [![](https://i.gyazo.com/f7c6e7a373692916bbf1411beef45429.jpg) ](https://i.gyazo.com/f7c6e7a373692916bbf1411beef45429.jpg) current snapshot just now from V2 ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/664 "2026-09-16T00:52:10Z")
It’ll be interesting to look tonight when it’s dark. Maybe that whitish stuff is fresh lava flow. If so, it should have at least a few glowing spots visible. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/665 "2026-09-16T01:01:37Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Maybe that whitish stuff is fresh lava flow. I’m 95% sure it is. I meant to say so in my last post. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/666 "2026-09-16T01:24:04Z")
The USGS update is pretty interesting. It says there are multiple changes happening in the crater and they have no idea what is going to happen. It’s hard for me to even attempt to summarize the update but it seems like the best show in the world is maybe planning for a few changes. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/667 "2026-09-16T01:29:53Z")
Gret pictures ! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/668 "2026-09-16T03:26:12Z")
As long as we don’t get “Krakatau, so far East of Java that it’s in Hawaii”. That would be bad. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/669 "2026-09-16T04:18:19Z")
Oh yeah. [![](https://i.gyazo.com/f1375d04a32b00937b612b67e5f7654e.jpg) ](https://i.gyazo.com/f1375d04a32b00937b612b67e5f7654e.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/670 "2026-09-16T04:47:13Z")
Woo hoo! New behavior. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/671 "2026-09-16T05:07:39Z")
I think they were expecting the changes to be a little more localized 😀 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/672 "2026-09-16T11:14:46Z")
HVO’s latest explanation … **[HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY STATUS REPORT - HVO](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-09-15T03:18:09+00:00)** Short version: new vents opened within the outer crater & darn near anything could happen next. But probably soon. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/673 "2026-09-18T20:37:18Z")
[Chopper footage from Sep 16th](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pPHJxG3F8c), closeups of the recent vents, angles we don’t get to see from the cams. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/674 "2026-09-18T20:48:13Z")
Wow! Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/675 "2026-09-18T21:53:08Z")
Yes, very cool. Except for the pools of lava which are anything but cool. 🤪 I was impressed to see in the longer shots that the cumulative effects of the last couple years’ eruptions has gone some way to filling the outer crater. It’s in no imminent danger of overflowing, but given another 5 years like the last 5 it would be getting close. And that assumes no outer wall collapses meanwhile. I’m happy to see that we have icons for 🌋, 🌪, and 🌀. We’ll certainly use them in the days ahead. This one though, ☄, the giant comet or meteor impact I hope to avoid needing to post. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/676 "2026-09-19T01:58:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > And that assumes no outer wall collapses meanwhile. I’m wondering at these new vents that are right at the base of a cliff, does that mean the cliff is more likely to collapse? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/677 "2026-09-19T12:19:24Z")
I had a similar thought. Either that or the fresh lava soon to flow out of those cracks will shore up the cliff. The vents are on the interior face of the larger crater wall. Not the exterior face. So any lava they vent will end up inside the crater. And AIUI, what we see in the images as the outer crater wall is in fact a couple mile wide crater within the truly huge main crater that’s tens of miles across. So there’s craters within craters and growing cones and spewing vents within the inner crater. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/678 "2026-09-19T13:47:27Z")
Big Island Video News:[Kīlauea Eruption Update: The End Of Lava Fountain Episodes?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jd2QGeH_ug) Sept. 18, 2026, 2 minutes. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1jd2QGeH_ug/maxresdefault.jpg "Kīlauea Eruption Update: The End Of Lava Fountain Episodes? (Sept. 18, 2026)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jd2QGeH_ug) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/679 "2026-09-19T16:24:19Z")
They do a nice job of zeroing in on the interesting parts, using clear language for lay people. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/680 "2026-09-23T04:51:33Z")
Huh. I am eating at a popular local dive with the TV tuned to the webcams, and it’s looking a bit more active than it has in a while. Check the v1 cam … dunno how long this will last or if it will fade/intensify. Worth a look though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665.md?page=35)